JP2011201338A - Mass body and handle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the manufacturing cost of a mass body provided in a steering wheel.SOLUTION: The mass body 14 is mounted on a rim cored bar 15 of a steering wheel 1 of an automobile. The mass body 14 is made of a metal plate material by bending process to have a cross-sectional substantial polygonal rod shape, and engaged with a storage part 18 provided in the rim cored metal 15. Compared to forging or casting, the manufacturing cost at multikind and small-quantity production can be easily reduced.

Description

  The present invention relates to a mass body provided on a handle and a handle.

  Conventionally, a steering wheel, which is a handle used in automobiles, motor boats, and the like, is supported by a rotating shaft and used for a steering operation that determines a steering angle in a desired direction. When the steering wheel rotates the gripping operation portion, if there is a portion where the mass concentrates at a specific portion in the rotation direction (circumferential direction), it affects the vibration characteristics, operability, and operation feeling.

  In recent years, considering the fact that weight reduction of vehicles has a positive effect on fuel efficiency, the materials used for steering wheels have also been reviewed, and the core material called hub core has been changed from conventional steel rods and pipe materials to aluminum alloys. It has been switched to low specific gravity metals such as magnesium alloys.

  In consideration of the visibility, operability, and design of meters, the spokes are generally unevenly distributed in the lower part of the steering wheel that connects the annular grip part to the steering shaft by the spoke part. Or four are set. Therefore, in general, the center of gravity of the steering wheel is below the center of the grip portion, and the upper mass is extremely smaller than the lower portion.

  In this regard, a configuration is known in which a mass body called an additional weight or a weight is attached to the grip portion. For example, a configuration is known in which a weight is installed in the upper part of a hollow cored bar to improve the mass balance (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Further, a configuration is known in which an additional weight is press-fitted and fixed to a core metal having a U-shaped cross section within a range of approximately 90 degrees of the center angle on each of the left and right sides of the grip portion, and a vibration is suppressed by causing a weight difference. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2). Further, the mass bodies of these weights and additional weights are usually formed in an arch shape curved in the longitudinal direction along the arc shape of the grip portion in terms of the function of the steering wheel. And the mass body of patent documents 1 is manufactured as a cast iron lump using iron, lead, nickel, copper, etc., for example. Moreover, the mass body of patent document 2 is formed in the cross-sectional rectangle suitable for the concave shape of a metal core.

JP 2001-278061 A (Page 4, FIG. 1) Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-113077 (Fig. 1-3)

  When the mass body is manufactured by casting as in the conventional case, a so-called high energy consumption construction method is adopted in which the iron ingot (ingot) is heated to a completely molten state, poured into a mold and cooled. In addition, in the case of casting, the runner's cutting part and mold aligning part (parting line) produce boss-like or rib-like small protrusions in the cooled product, which requires a finishing process, and the whole Cost reduction is difficult.

  In addition to casting, for example, there is a forming method by forging a bar material obtained by extruding or drawing a metal material into a straight bar shape using, for example, a die and cutting it into a predetermined dimension into a circular shape curved in the longitudinal direction with a predetermined cross-sectional shape. is there. However, when the product type is switched by these pultrusion molding and extrusion molding, after forming a predetermined amount of bar material with one die, the molding machine is stopped, the die is changed, and the molding of the next product type is resumed. I need it. Therefore, it takes time until the next product is stably produced, and a molded product that is molded before it enters a so-called track that enables stable production is also wasted. Furthermore, after cutting the formed long bar into a material with a length suitable for the weight, forging to make the required shape is performed, this forging is shaped in stages by multiple hits In order to obtain a final shape, it is necessary to prepare a number of different forging dies in order to produce a plurality of varieties, and the initial investment and the cost of switching the production varieties are large. In addition, since the forging process itself includes an annealing process and requires heating and cooling, it takes a long time from the introduction of the material to the completion of the weight, sometimes several days, and a large amount of work-in-process items are generated. Therefore, it is not suitable for low-volume production of various types, and the purchase quantity for one mass is equivalent to, for example, about 100,000 pieces (about 10 tons) for one lot of one type.

  Thus, about the mass body manufactured by the conventional method, reduction of manufacturing cost is not easy.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a point, and it aims at providing the mass body and handle | steering-wheel which can reduce manufacturing cost easily.

  The mass body according to claim 1 is a mass body to be attached to the handle, wherein a metal flat plate is formed into a rod shape by bending.

  The mass body according to claim 2 is the mass body according to claim 1, wherein the plate material has a rectangular shape, and at least an edge portion along the longitudinal direction is folded and overlapped with another portion, and the cross-sectional polygon as a whole. It is what makes.

  The mass body according to claim 3 is the mass body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a part of the other portion is positioned along a virtual extension surface of an edge that is folded and overlapped with the other portion. Is.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the handle includes a gripping operation unit and the mass body according to any one of the first to third aspects attached to the gripping operation unit.

  The handle according to claim 5 is the handle according to claim 4, wherein the gripping operation portion includes a core member provided with a storage portion and a covering portion covering the core member, and the mass body is provided at least in the storage portion. A part is accommodated and attached.

  According to the mass body of claim 1, for the mass body to be attached to the handle, since the metal plate-like plate material is made into a rod shape by bending, it is possible to reduce the energy required for production compared to casting and forging, Manufacturing facilities can be simplified, and manufacturing costs for small-volume production can be easily reduced.

  According to the mass body of claim 2, in addition to the effect of claim 1, since the edge of the rectangular plate material at least along the longitudinal direction is folded and overlapped with other parts, the cross-sectional polygon as a whole, It can be used in the same manner as a solid rod-shaped mass formed by casting or forging while reducing the manufacturing cost.

  According to the mass body of the third aspect, in addition to the effect of the first or second aspect, along the virtual extended surface of the edge portion that is folded and overlapped with the other portion, a part of the other portion is Therefore, a flat portion is formed on the outer surface of the mass body that is formed into a rod shape by folding a flat plate material, and can be easily used in the same manner as a rod-shaped mass body having a polygonal cross section as a whole.

  According to the handle of the fourth aspect, since the mass body according to any one of the first to third aspects is provided, the mass balance is improved by the mass body or the vibration is suppressed while reducing the manufacturing cost. It can be improved.

  According to the handle of the fifth aspect, in addition to the effect of the fourth aspect, the mass is attached to the gripping operation portion by accommodating at least a part of the housing in the housing portion provided in the core of the gripping operation portion. The body can be arranged efficiently in the space, the mass balance of the gripping operation unit can be improved, or the vibration can be suppressed, and the operational feeling can be improved.

It is the perspective view which notched a part which shows one Embodiment of the handle | steering_wheel provided with the mass body of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the manufacturing process of a mass body same as the above. It is a partial perspective view which shows other embodiment of the mass body of this invention. It is a partial perspective view which shows other embodiment of the mass body of this invention. It is a partial perspective view which shows other embodiment of the mass body of this invention. It is a partial perspective view which shows other embodiment of the mass body of this invention. It is a partial perspective view which shows other embodiment of the mass body of this invention. It is a partial perspective view which shows other embodiment of the mass body of this invention. It is a partial perspective view which shows other embodiment of the mass body of this invention. It is a partial perspective view which shows other embodiment of the mass body of this invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a mass body and a handle according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a steering wheel as a steering wheel. The steering wheel 1 includes a steering wheel main body 2 that is a steering wheel main body, an airbag device 4 that is a pad attached to the passenger side of the steering wheel main body 2, and the like. It has. The steering wheel 1 is mounted on a steering shaft (not shown) that is a steering shaft of an automobile, and this steering shaft is normally provided in a vehicle in an inclined state. A certain occupant side, that is, the front side is the rear side, the opposite side of the occupant side, that is, the vehicle body side that is the steering shaft side, that is, the rear side, is the front side, the front upper windshield side is the upper side, and the lower rear side is the lower side. The shaft core will be described as an operation axis.

  The overall shape of the steering wheel body 2 is substantially annular, and includes a rim portion 5 as a gripping operation portion called a grip portion or a ring portion, a boss portion 6 positioned inside the rim portion 5, and In the present embodiment, there are provided three spoke portions 7 that connect the rim portion 5 and the boss portion 6.

  The structure of the steering wheel body 2 includes a core material 11, a covering portion 12 that covers a part of the core material 11, a mass body 14 attached to the core material 11, a lower cover (not shown), and the like. ing.

  The core material 11 can also be called a core metal or a handle metal core, and the rim core metal part 15 and the inner side of the rim core metal part 15 are not shown depending on the overall shape of the steering wheel body 2 (not shown). The boss cored bar part (boss plate part), and a plurality of spoke cored bar parts 17 in the present embodiment for connecting the rim cored bar part 15 and the bossed cored bar part are provided. The rim cored bar portion 15 is formed in an annular shape when viewed from the rear side, and is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section having a housing portion 18 provided in a groove shape along the longitudinal direction from the front side. Yes. Further, the spoke mandrel 17 is disposed on both sides and the lower side when viewed from the rear side. Further, the boss core part includes a steel boss body fastened and fixed to the steering shaft, and the boss body is cast-molded with a magnesium alloy integrally formed with the rim core part 15 and the spoke core part 17. Thus, the boss plate is die-cast integrally with the other core material 11 portions.

  The covering portion 12 can also be called a skin or the like, and is made of a soft synthetic resin such as a polyurethane foam resin, and covers the entire rim portion 5 and a part of the spoke portion 7 on the rim portion 5 side.

  The airbag device 4 is attached to the front side of the boss portion 6 of the steering wheel body 2 and covers a part of the boss portion 6 side of the steering wheel body 2 and the boss portion 6 side of the spoke portion 7. The airbag device 4 is an occupant protection device that houses an airbag that is inflated and deployed, and is a horn switch that blows a horn when pressed.

  The mass body 14 is also referred to as a weight, a mass, a weight, or a balance weight, and is disposed on the upper side of the rim portion 5 where the spoke portion 7 does not exist, increasing the moment of inertia and steering that is a gripping operation component. The operation balance of the steering wheel 1 is improved by adjusting the mass balance and resonance characteristics of the wheel 1. The mass body 14 is at least partially accommodated in the rim core metal portion 15 that is a core material that reinforces the rim portion 5, that is, in the accommodating portion 18. It is fixed by fixing means such as an aluminum adhesive tape, so-called aluminum tape, and the entire outside is covered with the covering portion 12 and attached to the steering wheel body 2.

  Next, the mass body 14 will be described in detail.

  The mass body 14 as a whole is a rod shape that is curved along an arc shape along the rim portion 5 of the steering wheel body 2, that is, along the accommodating portion 18 of the rim core metal portion 15, and has a polygonal cross section. In this form, it is formed in a substantially trapezoidal cross section that can be fitted into the accommodating portion 18.

  And this mass body 14 is not basically formed of an iron ingot by casting or forging, but by press working which is a bending process of a plastic flat metal plate material, here by progressive press molding. It is folded and formed into a rod shape.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the manufacturing process by press work of this mass body 14 is demonstrated.

  First, as shown in FIG. 2A, a metal plate is cut into a rectangular shape having a predetermined size to form a plate material 21. The plate material 21 is a steel plate obtained by subjecting an iron plate to rust prevention treatment such as galvanization, and is formed to have a predetermined size by cutting the left and right edge portions 22 and 23 and the longitudinal end portion 24.

  Then, as shown in FIGS. 2 (a), (b) and (c), the left and right edge portions 22, 23 of the plate member 21 are connected to the first fold line 25 and the second fold line 25 which are set along the longitudinal direction. 2 is bent at a folding line 26 and finally bent by 180 degrees, and the left and right edges 22 and 23 are folded on the lower surface side of the other portion 28 as shown in FIG. At this time, the distance L1 between the edge 22 on one side and the first fold line 25 is set to be larger than the distance L2 between the edge 23 on the other side and the second fold line 26, that is, left and right The dimensions of the folded portions are different from each other.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 2 (e), the plate member 21 is valley-folded by a third fold line 30 set along the longitudinal direction in another portion 28 where the edge portions 22 and 23 are not overlapped. Further, as shown in FIG. 2 (f), it is folded and pressed. In this state, the positions of the left and right edge portions 22 and 23 do not overlap vertically, and the edge portion 22 on one side is closer to the edge portion 23 on the other side with respect to the third fold line 30. In the state shown in FIG. 2 (f), the steel plate layers in which the plate materials 21 are laminated in a substantially W shape are defined as an A layer 31, a B layer 32, a C layer 33, and a D layer 34 in this order from the top. In the state shown in FIG. 2 (f), each of the layers 31, 32, 33, and 34 is substantially flat.

  Next, the plate material 21 is pressed and deformed so as to push down one edge 22 and the vicinity thereof. More specifically, a portion of the A layer 31, B layer 32, and C layer 33 that does not overlap the D layer 34, that is, a portion that deforms the overhang portion and that does not overlap the A layer 31 of the B layer 32 and C layer 33. As shown in FIG. 2 (g), a straight bar having a substantially trapezoidal cross section, that is, a substantially bullet-shaped cross section is formed. That is, in this state, the virtual extension surface of the upper surface of the A layer 31 that is the uppermost layer faces the third fold line 30, and the virtual extension surface of the lower surface of the D layer 34 that is the lowermost layer is the lower surface of the C layer 33. A straight bar shape with a substantially trapezoidal cross section having an upper surface and a lower surface inclined with respect to each other.

  Then, this straight bar is further bent into an arc shape with a predetermined curvature along the longitudinal direction, so-called R-bending is performed to match the curvature of the rim portion 5 of the steering wheel 1 as shown in FIG. Thus, the mass body 14 is completed.

  Then, the mass body 14 is fitted into the accommodating portion 18 at a predetermined position of the rim metal core portion 15 of the core member 11 so that the inclined upper surface and lower surface are in contact with the inner surface of the accommodating portion 18, and the adhesive tape In a state of being fixed to the core material 11 by a fixing means such as the above, the core material 11 is attached to the mold, and the soft resin is overmolded so as to be covered with the covering portion 12 and not exposed to the outside. In this state, the steering wheel 1 including the mass body 14 along a predetermined length is configured at a predetermined position of the rim portion 5 that is a gripping operation unit.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the mass body 14 attached to the steering wheel 1 is formed into a rod-like mass body 14 having a desired cross-section approximation by bending a simple plate material, and here, a metal flat plate The plate-shaped plate material 21 is folded by pressing to form a rod-shaped mass body 14. Therefore, it is easier to process and reduces the energy required for manufacturing compared to a structure in which an iron ingot is manufactured by casting or forging. Equipment can be simplified and versatility can be improved, and manufacturing costs can be easily reduced when producing a small quantity of various products.

  In addition, the mass body 14 is folded back on the edge portions 22 and 23 along the longitudinal direction of the rectangular plate material 21 and overlapped with the other portions 28 to form a rod shape having a substantially polygonal cross section. It can be used in the same manner as a solid rod-shaped mass formed by casting or forging.

  Further, since the mass body 14 is bent so that a part of the other portion 28 is located along the virtual extension surface of the edge portion 23 that is folded back and overlapped with the other portion 28, the flat plate-like plate material 21 A flat portion is formed on the outer surface of the mass body 14 which is folded into a rod shape, and can be easily used in the same manner as a rod-shaped mass body having a polygonal cross section as a whole. In particular, since the length of the left and right edge portions 22, 23 was changed during the first bending process, a substantially trapezoidal cross section with the top and bottom surfaces inclined to each other can be easily formed, and the rim core 15 is recessed. The shape that fits into the accommodating portion 18 can be easily formed.

  Further, the plate material 21 constituting the mass body 14 can improve the quality of the steering wheel 1 while reducing the cost by using a steel plate that has been subjected to a rust prevention treatment such as a galvanization treatment in advance. That is, the plate material 21 is cut at four sides including the left and right edge portions 22 and 23, and a portion where the raw material is exposed is generated, but all other main portions benefit from the rust prevention treatment, and rust is generated. Minimized. Therefore, for example, it is possible to omit costly rust prevention treatment including pretreatment such as degreasing and cleaning, as compared with forging in which it is necessary to perform rust prevention treatment on the whole after completion of shaping. If a rusted core material is put into a mold and a soft resin is overmolded, rust may come out on the surface of the steering wheel 1 as a molded product. Therefore, the quality of the steering wheel 1 can be improved while reducing the cost in that the mass body 14 can be manufactured in a state where the rust prevention treatment of the raw material can be used for the final product. In addition to the galvanized steel plate, the plate material 21 is made of an iron plate such as a cold rolled steel plate (SPCC), a stainless steel plate, or a magnesium plate if it is a plastically deformable material, or is plated after the press work. You can also.

  And the steering wheel 1 provided with such a mass body 14 improves the operational feeling by reducing the manufacturing cost while improving the mass balance, that is, the rotational balance or suppressing the vibration by increasing the resonance frequency. it can. In addition, the mass body 14 is efficiently disposed in the rim portion 5 by accommodating at least a part in the housing portion 18 provided on the rim core portion 15 of the rim portion 5 and attaching the mass body 14 to the rim portion 5. The mass balance of 5 can be improved or vibration can be suppressed, and the operational feeling can be improved. As described above, since the mass body 14 can improve the rotational balance and suppress vibrations and improve the operational feeling, the steering wheel 1 can be further reduced in weight.

  The folded shape of the mass body 14, that is, the shape obtained by pressing the plate material 21 is not limited to a configuration in which the mass body 14 is bent into a substantially W shape at three folding lines 25, 26, 30 as shown in FIG. 1. The number and position of the fold lines can be changed according to the thickness of the plate member 21, the shape of the accommodating portion 18, or the required mass. For example, the first fold line is different from the configuration shown in FIG. The number of fold lines can be reduced without setting 25, so that only two fold lines 26 and 30 are formed, as shown in FIG. Further, the number of folding lines can be increased, and two folding lines 41 and 42 can be formed between the first folding line 25 and the edge 22 on one side, as shown in FIG. Further, the folded shape may be a substantially rhombus approximate cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. In the configuration shown in FIG. 5, in addition to the configuration in FIG. 4, one fold line 44 is further set on the other edge 23 side of the second fold line.

  Further, the mass body 14 can be folded in a roll shape in addition to being bent 180 degrees along the fold line. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, after folding back 180 degrees at a fold line 46 set in the vicinity of the edge 22 on one side, it is bent by about 90 degrees around the folded portion while being wound closely. It can also be folded into a square cross section, for example, a rectangular cross section. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 7, it winds and folds, providing the clearance gap 51 between board | plate materials 21, and it can also be set as a cross-sectional substantially trapezoid shape as shown in FIG. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, at least the outer peripheral portion can be folded into a circular cross section without providing a clear fold line.

  Further, the mass body 14 may be configured by combining a single plate material 21 or a combination of the plate material 21 and other members. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, a plate-shaped steel plate core 55 having a thickness different from that of the plate material 21 can be used as the second member in combination with the plate material 21. The steel plate core 55 has a plate shape with a thickness dimension larger than that of the first plate member 21, and is sandwiched and fixed between the B layer 32 and the C layer 33 in the configuration shown in FIG. Further, in this configuration, a driving mark 56 is made at the boundary portion between the plate material 21 and the steel plate core 55, the adhesion between the plate material 21 and the steel plate core 55 is improved, and the connection is firmly established. Further, the second member is not limited to a plate-like member, and one or a plurality of polygonal square bars such as round bars, squares or hexagons are arranged at predetermined intervals, and these second members are used. The mass body 14 having a cross-sectional shape approximate to a desired shape can be easily formed by pressing so as to be sandwiched between the plate materials 21 and crushed. In this way, using a standardized round bar or square bar that can be prepared from a small amount at low cost, mass body 14 having a predetermined mass in a shape that fits a specific shape of housing 18 can be easily manufactured at low cost. it can.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the mass body 14 is fitted to the accommodating portion 18, attached with an aluminum tape, and further covered with the covering portion 12 and attached to the steering wheel 1. However, for example, the mass body 14 can be fixed by being press-fitted into the accommodating portion 18 without using a separate fixing means such as an aluminum tape.

  The handle for attaching these mass bodies 14 is not limited to the steering wheel 1 of an automobile provided with the annular rim portion 5 and the three spoke portions 7. For example, the spoke part 7, that is, the spoke core part 17, may be one, two, or four or more in addition to the three structures. It can also be applied to the handle of other vehicles such as motor boats. Also, the present invention can be applied to a handle in which a part or all of the rim portion is formed in a straight line shape instead of an arc shape. Further, the covering portion 12 can be attached with a previously formed member in addition to insert molding. Further, depending on the shape of the handle, the mass body 14 can be attached to an appropriate place other than the upper side portion of the rim portion 5. Further, the mass body 14 can be disposed at a position other than the rim portion 5 such as the spoke portion 7 or the boss portion 6.

  The present invention relates to a mass body provided in a steering wheel of an automobile, for example.

1 Steering wheel as a handle 5 Rim part as a gripping operation part
11 Core
12 Covering part
14 Mass
18 containment
21 Board material
22 Edge
23 Edge
28 Other parts

Claims (5)

A mass attached to the handle,
A mass body characterized in that a metal flat plate is formed into a rod shape by bending. The plate material has a rectangular shape, and at least the edge along the longitudinal direction is folded and overlapped with other portions,
The mass body according to claim 1, wherein the mass body has a polygonal cross section as a whole. 3. The mass body according to claim 1, wherein a part of the other portion is positioned along a virtual extension surface of an edge portion that is folded and overlapped with the other portion. A gripping operation unit;
A handle comprising: the mass body according to any one of claims 1 to 3 attached to the gripping operation unit. The gripping operation unit includes a core material provided with a storage unit, and a covering unit that covers the core material,
The handle according to claim 4, wherein at least a part of the mass body is accommodated and attached to the accommodating portion.

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